How to handle a hurricane? Well, to heed the non-stop advice available via 24/7 TV coverage, I suppose that the order of business at minimum was to stock up on all available comestibles, dash off to the nearest hardware store to buy every flashlight and battery on hand, gas up one’s vehicles and trundle off to the nearest ATM to lay in a cache of cash. The last of these was necessary, we are told, in case credit cards cannot be processed electronically. What you would be able to buy in that scenario is unclear, but so said the innumerable experts at the Weather Channel.

And so my fellow residents in Connecticut spent the week before the storm emptying grocery store shelves and forming lines at ATMs and gas stations. It’s funny. Many people who are atheists and agnostics reject religious strictures, saying, “Who is the Church to tell me what to do?” but have no such qualms when it comes to the edicts of “experts,” especially those employed by the government.

In the hours leading up to the advent of the big blow, we were treated to a plethora of on-site reports of the most comical variety; with reporters in slick, rain suits rippling in the wind, advising of the impending doom while scores of passersby ambled happily down the boardwalks behind them. On and on nattered all manner of ashen-faced pundits, dazzling us with their expertise in matters of disaster.

So, in the face of all this invaluable advice, what did my husband and I do? We stocked up on the ingredients for homemade Italian gravy and gave a pre-catastrophe dinner for a few friends. One of those friends and I chuckled over a prediction we made years ago--when a local TV station issued a “flat-roof” warning in advance of a snow storm--that networks, in their pursuit of scaring viewers into submission by fear, might have finally succeeded. Following this, we repaired to our local club where we whiled away the hours leading up to certain doom by having a few cocktails before calmly driving back home to await the storm.

After all, we, as well as the army of newscasters, had access to radar maps and knew almost exactly when the weather would change, and therefore saw no good reason to change our Saturday plans. In this, we were not in the company of most Northeastern city and state potentates who saw fit to add to the coming misery by cancelling events and shutting down mass transit way in advance of even a drop of rain, thus giving the whole affair an air of emasculation.

The imperious fiats of his highness, New York Emperor Mike Bloomberg, led to the cancellation of a Saturday afternoon NFL game--the epitome of American macho--while elderly golfers and five year-old soccer players availed themselves of the summer climes until sunset. Joining his fellow executives, even conservative Chris Christie got into the act, shuttering casino operations as well as closing down resort towns up and down the Jersey coast, a day in advance of the predicted devastation. These governors, it seemed, were determined to govern.

It’s easy to understand why. After all, what else has a governor to do in the day to day operation of his office? Other than appointments and wielding the rare veto pen, the true importance of executive power in modern America lies in the area of emergency management. Because Hurricane Katrina changed forever the way executives will be judged by the almighty media. I say, by the media, because if there were any fairness or objectivity in the majority of news outlets, the blame would have been put squarely on the weak shoulders of tragicomic New Orleans Mayor, Ray “Chocolate City” Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, instead of the usual suspect, George W. Bush.

So, much of the current nonsense of pre-hurricane overkill must be attributed to Katrina syndrome: the idea that more government can save lives and property, when in actuality, less bureaucratic interference and more individual responsibility would suffice. One only had to look at the effects of the same Katrina in the neighboring state of Mississippi, where, granted the difference in geography and population, the resulting loss of life and property was considerably less devastating.

Here in Connecticut, where we have Nor’easters year round, Big Irene barely caused any more damage than a severe thunderstorm. Yet, given the huge advance notice of this storm, and for all the many city, state and federal agencies meeting, consulting and coordinating with the inept Connecticut Light & Power Company, many in my state--including yours truly--will be without power for up to a week.

Because, despite the admonitions of rafts of ‘professional’ advisors, nothing--particularly the trudging behemoth of government bureaucracy--can replace the quickly vanishing ingenuity and common sense of the American people. It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; but in the case of government, it is usually a pound of flesh...yours.

Lisa Fabrizio is a columnist who hails from Connecticut. You may write her at mailbox@lisafab.com.

Your Opinions and Comments

"when you indict every Federal employee as a free loader"
I didn't indict anyone for anything. Neither did I say anything about being freeloaders. My dearly departed Father worked for the government all his working... More ›

"when you indict every Federal employee as a free loader"
I didn't indict anyone for anything. Neither did I say anything about being freeloaders. My dearly departed Father worked for the government all his working life. My problem is not with the federal employees. It's with the federal government waste, duplication, fraud and abuse and total disregard for the Constitution. There are too damn many federal agencies, departments and programs and WE ARE BANKRUPT to the tune of 14+ trillion dollars!
When the USA was the prosperous and there was plenty of revenue and little debt, a lot of these programs and agencies seemed like a good idea. But we can no longer afford such luxuries.

Do not think i mentioned "employee" in any way old as dirt.....employee's federal or civilian are the life blood of this country..i was referring to the unemployed leaches out there who live off entitlements, in... More ›

Do not think i mentioned "employee" in any way old as dirt.....employee's federal or civilian are the life blood of this country..i was referring to the unemployed leaches out there who live off entitlements, in which they thing they are "owed"....

To humby and Rocking Chair and all of you "no govt at all" types, you are pathetic when you indict every Federal employee as a free loader. My brother in law was an FBI agent for 30+ years, and was wounded in the... More ›

To humby and Rocking Chair and all of you "no govt at all" types, you are pathetic when you indict every Federal employee as a free loader. My brother in law was an FBI agent for 30+ years, and was wounded in the line of duty. Now he has a bad limp, and is living on his Federal pension, and according to you he is a lazy freeloader.
Facts Only was right. Before you trash anyone who earns a paycheck from the Federal govt, like a FEMA employee, or an FBI agent, you go do their duty for 30 days. Radar and all, weather predictions are just guess work. I nearly lost a daughter when a barely Cat I hurricane became a Cat III just thirty minutes before it made landfall. I was glad FEMA was there to help her.
So you lazy "no govt for me" guys can sit here in dry Wilson County, with little concern of a hurricane and you can make fun of FEMA or any other agency that shows up to help. But let one of our Texas wildfire threaten your home, you you will be the first to be raising the devil about where the firetrucks are! Oh by the way, those firetrucks are bought and paid for with TAX DOLLARS. No govt for me??? Then you fight your own wild fire. Good luck with the garden hose!!!

Rock'n chair Rambler I happened to be one of the Federal responders in support of FEMA. We did something and until you have gone through a Hurricane, this made my 7th Hurricane out of which 3 that were Cat 4, just set back... More ›

Rock'n chair Rambler I happened to be one of the Federal responders in support of FEMA. We did something and until you have gone through a Hurricane, this made my 7th Hurricane out of which 3 that were Cat 4, just set back in your chair and worry about your cable TV going out.

need something to make odumbo look halfway decent...create a huge hype over it, comes in as next to nothing, and thanks to your wonderful government all is well....if the government ceased to exist at this very second most if... More ›

need something to make odumbo look halfway decent...create a huge hype over it, comes in as next to nothing, and thanks to your wonderful government all is well....if the government ceased to exist at this very second most if not all our problems would cease to exist with them....unless your one of those leaches living off the government, then indeed you may have to actually provide for yourself. oh my how scary, self sufficient.

Yep, in spite of all the hype and government over-reaction there were still 40 deaths blamed on the "hurricane" that barely was a hurricane and for most people was only a tropical storm.
Those 40 deaths are generally... More ›

Yep, in spite of all the hype and government over-reaction there were still 40 deaths blamed on the "hurricane" that barely was a hurricane and for most people was only a tropical storm.
Those 40 deaths are generally used to justify the hype by the media and government officials jumping through their butts to "do something". I keep thinking, however, with a population of millions, the entire east coast of the US, how many deaths would normally occur during a period of several days? If the storm was so dangerous to life and limb, how come most of those deaths weren't weather reporters standing right out in the middle of it?
But, just like the Obama stimulus, their defense is to claim that had they done nothing, it would have been worse. Really?